Hot Commodity: Transfer Students
IACRAO Conference 2012
KRISTIN SMIGIELSKI
U N I V E R S I T Y O F I L L I N O I S AT U R B A N A C H A M PA I G N
What we will talk about today
 Online Resources
 Visit Opportunities and Recruitment efforts
 Communication plans
 Outreach efforts and Partnerships
Online Resources Used in our Admissions Office
 Transfer Handbook
 Transfer Requirement Directory
 Transfer Articulation Guides
 Community College Counselor Website
Transfer Handbook
 For many year, only resource available for students
to determine requirements for transfer admission
 Was available in our office as a paper copy or as a
PDF online
 Only shows UIUC course rubrics and numbers
 Students still have to figure out course equivalencies
at their school
Example of Transfer Handbook page
Transfer Handbook
 Updated every summer-new version goes live August 1st
 Difficult to maintain if changes are made after August 1st. Entire
section of the PDF has to be brought down while changes are
made.
 Formatting the pages is time consuming
 We need updates from the colleges approximately 2 months
before the new version goes live.
Transfer Requirement Directory (TRD)
 Created in 2010
 Simplified version of the Transfer Handbook
 Provides application information
 Lists the GPA and course requirements (course titles only)
Intro Page of TRD
TRD Benefits
 Gives students a simplified picture of transfer
requirements
 If a program does not accept spring transfers or
upper/lower division transfers, it will display this
information
 Reminds students of basic information like
application deadlines and admission notification
Transfer Articulation Guides
 Started in 2009 with 12 community colleges
 By the fall of 2010, all 48 community colleges in Illinois
were live
 Takes the guesswork out of course articulation
 Useful to both students and counselors
Articulation Guide Example
Transfer Articulation Guides
 Updated every summer by admissions staff
 Goal to have all guides updated by September 1st
 Would consider changing the layout of the guides in the
future
Counselor Website
 Currently fully implemented for high school guidance
counselors
 Each school is provided with a unique login
- Counselors can monitor students’ application status
- Counselors can view the decision as well as scholarships awarded
 Hope to have this up and running for community college
counselors December 2012.
Visit Opportunities and Recruitment Efforts
 Transfer Information Sessions (1st and 3rd Fridays)
 Transfer Visit Day (September)
 Admitted Transfer Day (April)
 Walk-in Appointments
 Coffee Talks
 Receptions
Communication Plans
 Talisma is the CRM used in Admissions
 Track all interactions with suspects, prospects, applicants,
etc.
 Send apply reminders, incomplete emails, invites for events
 Send emails for colleges or departments on campus
Communication Plans
 College Fish subscription
- 2000 names a year
 Honors letters to Honors Program Coordinators
 National Student Clearinghouse data
- Letter to previous freshman admits who attend an Illinois
community college
Outreach and Partnerships
 Community College Advisory Board
 Parkland Pathway to Illinois
- Application Process
- Benefits
 DACC Pathway to Illinois
- No application process
- Benefits
 Other 2+2’s that exist
Thank you for attending!
Kristin Smigielski
Assistant Director
Undergraduate Admissions
ksmigiel@illinois.edu